Joining Mayor Houston in the call-to-action were members of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Springfield Public Schools, United Way of Central Illinois, and Community Child Care Connection.
#GivingTuesday is a first of its kind effort bringing together charities, families, businesses and individuals to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. Coinciding with the Thanksgiving Holiday and the kickoff of the holiday shopping season, #GivingTuesday inspires people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities and give back to the local charities and causes they support.
At the press conference, United Way, in partnership with Community Child Care Connection and a host of local preschools, announced the kick off of their "Gift of Reading" campaign. The campaign will run throughout the month of December and will raise funds to support Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is an early childhood literacy program providing one free, age-appropriate book, each month, to children under the age of 5 in Sangamon County. This year alone, the program will provide more than 31,000 free, new age-appropriate books to more than 3,800 children who have enrolled in the program.
The program is designed to promote a love of reading among children at an early age, to better prepare children to enter kindergarten, and to bring families closer together.
Launched through a donation from Scheels and supported through a renewable grant from a national corporation, the program is facing an uncertain future after the national corporation changed the focus area of its foundation giving. The program, which is not currently funded through United Way’s Annual Campaign, has three months of funding based upon current enrollment. United Way and CCCC are exploring alternatives to extend the program beyond three months to identify long term funding options.
The “Gift of Reading” campaign offers supporters of the program the opportunity to provide a year’s worth of books to a child in our community with a $25 gift. In addition, local businesses have the opportunity to sponsor the program through a variety of sponsorship options. 100% of each gift to the program goes directly to the cost of the literacy program.
The “Gift of Reading” campaign will run during the month of December with United Way, Community Child Care Connection and area preschools raising funds.
To give the Gift of Reading, please call 726-7000 or visit www.springfieldunitedway.org.
